🤔 Which job offer should I take?

Comparing job offers on salary alone can be a costly mistake. This calculator helps you compare two job offers by estimating their true total compensation in location-adjusted dollars. See past the headline numbers to discover which offer actually leaves you with more money in your pocket.

Total compensation is your base salary plus the monetary value of bonuses and benefits. Employer 401(k) matches and health premium subsidies are the biggest hidden drivers of value. Estimate the annual dollar value of these perks to get a true baseline for your current job or first offer.

Input the details for your competing job offer. Sometimes an impressive $15,000 salary bump is entirely wiped out by a weaker 401(k) match or more expensive health insurance premiums. Add up your expected bonus and benefits to evaluate the true financial weight of this second option.

A dollar buys a very different standard of living depending on where you live. The MIT Living Wage Calculator is an excellent tool to estimate the cost-of-living gap between two places.

Look up the required living wage for both locations on the MIT Living Wage Calculator. If Offer B's city costs 10% more, enter 10% below. If it is cheaper, enter a negative number.

This comparison focuses strictly on your current spending power. It plainly simplifies away taxes that differ by state, non-monetary factors, and future raise trajectories.

Remember that a lower-paying offer can still win overall. Better career growth, remote flexibility, a shorter commute, or greater equity upside are often worth a slight dip in take-home pay.

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